1954 First Edition illustrated by Mervyn Peake- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Author: Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Mervyn Peake.
Title: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. With sixty-five illustrations by Mervyn Peake.
Publisher: London: Allan Wingate, 1954. Printed in Great Britain by W. & J. Mackay & Co., Ltd., Chatham. First Edition illustrated by Mervyn Peake.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5 x 5.5 inches
Pages: viii-264 pages.
Binding: Attractive and fine half green morocco leather binding with gilt motifs to spine (bee, playing cards, etc.), red morocco labels gilt-titled, and marbled paper over boards (hinges fine - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing and toning - as shown).
Illustrations: Illustrated throughout with Mervyn Peake’s imaginative black-and-white drawings, sixty-five in total. (Complete).
Estimate: (USD 450 – USD 500).
The book: A scarce and collectible 1954 edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, enriched by sixty-five striking illustrations from the celebrated British author and illustrator Mervyn Peake, best known for his Gormenghast trilogy. Peake’s illustrations lend a darker, more gothic quality to Carroll’s classic, contrasting with the traditional Tenniel imagery and making this edition unique in the history of Alice illustrations. The pairing of Carroll’s surreal Victorian fantasy with Peake’s mid-20th-century visionary art results in a volume of great charm and depth. Published in London by Allan Wingate, this edition has since become sought-after for its artistic significance.
The author: Lewis Carroll (1832–1898), the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was a mathematician, logician, clergyman, and photographer. His Alice books, first published in 1865 and 1871, revolutionized children’s literature with their blend of fantasy, satire, logic puzzles, and nonsense verse. Beyond their whimsical characters—the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, and Queen of Hearts—they have been interpreted as profound explorations of language, logic, and imagination, cementing Carroll’s legacy as one of the greatest writers in English literature.
The illustrator: Mervyn Peake (1911–1968) was an English novelist, poet, painter, and illustrator. His darkly imaginative style is evident in his illustrations for Carroll’s Alice books, which combine surreal intensity with gothic undertones, offering a striking departure from John Tenniel’s original Victorian imagery. Peake’s interpretation is regarded as one of the most original artistic responses to Carroll, imbuing Alice’s world with both wonder and menace. His reputation rests equally on his literary achievements (Titus Groan, Gormenghast, Titus Alone) and his illustration work, making this volume a fascinating collaboration between two major creative minds.